Singapore was considered an impregnable fortress, but the <strong>Japanese overran the island in 1942</strong>. After the war, Singapore became a Crown Colony. The growth of nationalism led to self-government in 1959 and on <strong>9 August 1965</strong>, Singapore became an independent republic. When Raffles sailed into Singapore in 1819, with him was an entourage of <strong>2320 Indian settlers</strong>. In the mid-80s, the <strong>first Odia arrived in Singapore in 1987</strong>. By 2008, the Odia population grew to an estimated <strong>1,000</strong>.
SingOdia
